Ice Fire
by JennMel
Summary: Johnny Storm was annoying. He was cocky and outspoken. But however irritating a person can get, when their life is suddenly hanging by a thread, and no one knows why, suddenly those faults are just the quirks you miss.
1. Chapter 1

Author Notes: Hi! This is my first Fantastic Four fic (mainly because I only saw the first film a few days ago. I know...I'm sorry...) Anyway, it's Johnnycentric, and hopefully you'll like it. I can't promise on regular updates, as I've got some coursework deadlines coming up, but I'll do my best! Enjoy!

**Ice Fire**

Chapter 1

"Is it ready?" The small man jumped out of his skin as a woman's sharp voice sliced through the quiet of the lab, knocking his empty coffee cup on the floor. She sighed in annoyance, "My employer is getting impatient. He tends to get slightly restless when he doesn't see the results of his money."

The scientist blinked dazedly for a few moments, until he managed to gather himself enough to stand and face the woman, "Uh, I think so. I mean, yes, it has passed all the simulations, but I, uh, well, I would prefer to conduct a few more practical tests, if, well, if that would be-"

The woman resisted the urge to roll her eyes, waving her hand dismissively to cut him off, "Enough. I take it the tests undertaken on the rats concluded satisfactorily?"

"W-well, yes, but you want to test the prototype on a much larger test subject, and I couldn't be sure if-"

"Can you not accommodate for the increase? Only I was to understand that you are one of the leading scientists in biochemistry…"

The man whimpered, "It's just, the _ethics_. Rats are very different to what you want to do. You are suggesting we test the prototype on a human!"

The woman laughed coldly, "You keep calling it a prototype. I assure you, it will be used once and for one purpose only. And as for the ethics…" she took a step forwards, making the man recoil, "I was under the impression that your _incentive_ far outweighed your ethical values."

"No please, I won't question your motives again, please; I just want to go home." Sweat beaded on his forehead as his eyes darted over her shoulder to three men standing in the doorway, "It's ready. I've already compensated for all the variables. It's, it's done."

"Where is the final result?"

One final flicker of doubt crossed behind the man's eyes, but it was quickly smothered by his fear, "It's all set up, I, well, I took the liberty of preparing it. The final product is over there." He nodded over to a table upon which a thin briefcase was lying.

The woman sneered at his quailing mannerisms, and strode over to the case, unclipping it and inspecting the contents before re-sealing it and walking over to the door. "Thank you for your co-operation; my employer will be most pleased with your efforts." A tiny glimmer of relief spread across the scientist's face, until the woman pulled a gun from the belt of one of the men, planting one bullet into his head, "Pathetic. Deal with the body and the lab will you? I don't want any trace of us being here."

The woman allowed herself a small smile as she strode out to where her transport was waiting. It was almost time.

* * *

It was disgusting. Look at them all, fawning over the four pathetic excuses for humanity. All they had done was rescue a few people from a traffic pile up. Nothing they hadn't done before, and yet they were milking it for all they were worth, and the crowds were simply lapping it up. 

Her eyes skimmed over the heads of those in front of her, until they locked onto her target. He was the worst of the four. Sickeningly cocky and confident. A small smile stole across her face before she arranged it into what she knew to be the expression of a giddy fan. Pushing forwards, she made her way to the front of the crowd, arranged the object in her hand, and then ran towards the Human Torch, throwing her arms around his neck. Squeaking as breathlessly as she could, "Oh my god you were absolutely amazing, thank you so, so much!"

Johnny looked shocked and awkward for a second, before he grinned, "Well, you're very welcome, miss. Perhaps-"

His sister rolled her eyes, tiredness apparent on her features being the one who had had the biggest part in holding the cars up, "C'mon Johnny, we should be getting home."

"Aww, Sue, I'm a big boy."

"Now Johnny." Reed's equally tired voice left no room for argument. Tensions had been running high at the Baxter Building as of late, the other three getting more and more sick of Johnny's antics; he still hadn't fully toned down the celebrity aspect of their job.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I've gotta go, maybe I'll see you for a drink some time? Or maybe just save your life?"

He turned and walked away, rubbing his neck as he joked to the Thing how 'that one' had really got her claws into him, only to be sharply rebuked. The woman dropped her façade, slipping the now empty syringe into her pocket and melting back into the crowd. When she was safely enough away, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled. "Victor? It's me. Everything's been taken care of."

To Be Continued…

Author Notes: What do you think? Please review!!


	2. Chapter 2

Author Notes: Sorry for the delay, I've been swamped. Thank you all so much for the reviews! I was blown away by the response. Before I leave you to read on, I just want to reassure you all that NO, the woman from the last chapter will not become a Mary Sue. She was their for the main reason that, let's face it, if Doom had run up to Johnny screeching like a crazed fan, they might have got a bit creeped out. Mental images of Doom in a blond wig are just so wrong...

Chapter 2

The three walked into their apartments out of the lift; Ben was taking the stairs as he always did. Johnny trailed behind his sister and her fiancé, feeling the tension crackling in the air. He had no idea what was making them all so tetchy lately. They had been actively using their powers for almost six months now, Sue and Reed were due to be married very soon and they saved New York at every opportunity – what could be wrong with that? He frowned, feeling the silence build up until the pressure meant that he just had to say something, "Well that was-"

"Why do you do it?" Sue exploded, as if she had been waiting for her brother to start talking just so she could cut him off.

Johnny was thrown for a second, "What, talk?"

"Why can't you just do your job? Why do you have to make a big thing out of everything we do; every rescue, every crisis?" Reed cast his eyes to the floor as Sue's voice raised a notch, spitting out every word. This had been building up in her for a long time now – the stress of what they did combined with the nonchalant attitude her brother gave it.

Johnny's anger flared behind his eyes, his jaw setting in attitude, "Well I'm sorry if I get a kick out of what I do. God, you're always the same – can't live with a good thing for too long!"

Reed watched as Ben came down the corridor, halting when he realised that Sue had finally snapped, "There is a risk to what we do! It's not a game!"

Johnny rolled his eyes, turning to head to his room, "Whatever Sue."

Susan Storm's eyes narrowed as her body shimmered into invisibility and back into being again, "You know, sometimes I wonder if you only help us because of the fame and girls you get out of it."

Johnny half turned to face his sister again, and if Reed hadn't been trying to remain out of the argument, he doubted he would have noticed the shadow of hurt that flickered behind the young man's eyes before it was swallowed by his cocky grin, "Only 'cause you can only bag stretch boy there, sis. Jealousy's a bad thing." He turned and strode out of the room to the bedrooms. They heard the door slam.

Sue closed her eyes, slumping on the couch; Reed and Ben went to sit either side, "Why can't he just grow up? Why can't he understand how much we risk every time we go outside?"

Reed put his arm around the woman he loved as Ben replied, "He does Suzie, he's just a hot headed kid at the same time."

* * *

Johnny slammed his door, fire subconsciously springing up in his fist as he vented his anger by throwing the fireball across the room. How the hell did his sister know him so little to think something like that? How could she think that he didn't want to help people? "Fuck her." Johnny muttered, the childhood sensation of satisfactory daring whenever one swore behind a closed door coming to the fore of his mind. Tension coiled in his muscles, and suddenly his room seemed incredibly claustrophobic. Absently rubbing his neck to try and remove the stiff feeling building there, Johnny strode over to his window, yanked it open, and took one deep breath of the air before leaping into the sky. The pleasant sensation of flames engulfing his body greeted him, and he was soon lost in the act of flying.

* * *

It was only when the sun began to set, and Johnny knew that he would start to light up the night sky, that the Human Torch returned to the place he called home. He landed on his bedroom floor nimbly, flaming off and shivering slightly as the cool air bit into his previously red hot body. He rose, and swayed slightly, dizziness swamping him for a second, "Woah. Must've been flying longer than I thought." He grabbed some new clothes and threw them on over his suit, realising with dismay that the crick in his neck that had been soothed during flight had returned full force. Johnny sighed, checking the time. He supposed he'd better surface. The others never came into his room, and so probably thought he was sulking or something. Besides, he was hungry.

Ben looked up from the couch where he was watching television as flame boy finally opened his door and made his way into the living area. It had taken him long enough – god knew what the kid had been doing in there all afternoon. Johnny scanned the area, feeling a sudden tiredness creeping over himself. It was odd, normally at this time he would be thinking about going out, but now the idea didn't seem to hold much appeal. It was clear the others had already eaten, so Johnny made his way to the kitchen. Being the Human Torch, heating up food didn't really take very long, and Johnny was soon fixing himself something hot to eat and drink. Inwardly, he frowned, another odd thing; he usually preferred cold drinks, but right now, the idea of holding a hot mug of coffee was the most appealing thing to him in the world, regardless if it tasted good with pasta or not.

Finally, Johnny sat down a seat across from Ben. The Thing had been watching this whole process, and it had confirmed his suspicions – the brat was sulking from the telling off his sister had given him earlier. Figures. The pair was quiet for a while, until Johnny finished his dinner and realised he still hadn't seen the other two members of their four. Tentatively, in case Ben was pissed too, Johnny asked, "Where's Reed and Sue?"

"Out." Ben grunted, not taking his eyes off the programme he was engaged in. More silence. Johnny suppressed a frustrated sigh before getting up and depositing the dishes in the washer. He began to head back to his room, when Ben called over his shoulder, "I wouldn't go out tonight if I were you flyboy, unless you want to annoy Suzie more. You gotta start treating your sister better – all she's done for you."

Johnny glared, deeply desiring to spit back that he hadn't been planning on going out, actually. Instead, he simply responded with his obligatory, "Whatever pebbles." Ben sighed as he heard Johnny's door slam for the second time that day. He hated domestics like this.

Johnny took a few deep breaths. What was everyone's problem lately? It was giving him a headache. Frowning, he strode forwards and slammed his window shut in an attempt to cut out the chill that had imbedded itself in his room. Once again, the tiredness engulfed him in the quiet, semi-dark space. He rubbed his neck. It must be all this crap with Sue, and he had been flying for a while. Maybe his body was just prodding him to actually get some sleep one night a week. Sighing, Johnny made to take off his clothes, when he found that he really didn't want to. All he wanted to do was climb into bed and wrap a duvet around himself. He shivered again, eyes dropping involuntarily. Clumsily, he kicked off the shoes that he had been wearing since before the car pile up, and fell into bed, quickly drifting to sleep as the warmth from the layers wrapped around him seeped back into his bones.

To Be Continued…

Author Notes: I'll try and get the next chapter up soon, but I can't see that being any time before next week. Please review and tell me what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3

Author Notes: Woah! Thank you so much for the amazing response you've given me! I was so flattered, and I've tried to keep every comment you made in mind. Anyway, here's the next instalment – bit short, but I hope you like it!

Chapter 3

Johnny groaned sleepily as his alarm penetrated his mind. It took a few seconds for his brain to engage enough to operate his hand to shoot quickly out from the comfort of the duvet, whack the off button, and shoot back into the warmth. For a few moments, Johnny relished the warmth, his brain tiredly thinking of how he would have to brave the cold in a minute to get some food.

Johnny's eyes snapped open. What the hell? For a start, it was the height of summer. Secondly, and more importantly, he hadn't felt cold since before the space station. He was the Human Torch – he didn't _do _the cold. It was a feeling that was no longer available, something he was quite grateful for normally. Temperatures of all sorts were meant to be null and void when it came to him.

With much effort, Johnny managed to get his tired, achy brain in gear. He really wanted to warm up. Swinging his legs out of bed, Johnny grimaced as his feet touched the freezing cold fire-proof flooring that covered his room. Shivering, Johnny did the only sensible thing, he flamed on. A smile spread across his face as the familiar flames licked his body, warming him from inside out. Suddenly, dizziness swept over him, forcing Johnny to extinguish the fire and lean against the wall. Again, what the hell? Okay, so he felt a bit warmer now, the fire had definitely helped with that, but now he felt even more tired than he had when he woke up. And what was that dizziness about?

Johnny sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. In his heart, he knew he should really go to Reed, but his pride just wouldn't allow it. After all, he reasoned, it wasn't like he was sick or anything – any bacteria that dared to try and enter his body would be simply burned up. He _couldn't_ get sick. It was an off day, that's all – burning the candles at both ends, so to speak. Johnny smiled at his mental joke, before deciding that he should probably start getting his butt into gear, or Sue would do her head again.

He quickly pushed his problems to the back of his mind, where everything else went.

* * *

After a warm shower, a hot breakfast (much to his disgust – he had been forced to steal his sister's porridge to heat up) and some coffee, which helped with the tiredness as well, Johnny felt much better. What helped even more was that he had been the first one up, so no awkward silences had ruined his morning. All in all, everything was definitely improving. "Johnny!" Damn. Apparently Reed had already been up in his lab – so much for peace.

"Yeah?"

"Traffic lights out – huge pile up. We need you to fly ahead – emergency services are stuck in the jams."

Johnny couldn't help himself; it just slipped out, "What? Again? Do these people take driving tests?"

Reed glared, "Move it Johnny!"

Scrap the last happy thought – it was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Johnny stumbled slightly as he landed on the burning asphalt, his vision skipping and tilting before it adjusted to being on the ground. It was worse than yesterday – Reed had neglected to mention the huge truck on its side with large stickers with various warnings, basically translating to _'will explode'_. Screaming suddenly hit Johnny full force, as his ears pulled the rest of his mind into reality. Snap out of it, damn it! There wasn't any time for him to be acting like a sick little kid. "Move!" He yelled at shocked bystanders, "Run! Go!" He waved his arms frantically, but the noise created by the pandemonium was too great to get his voice heard. Where the hell were the others?

A rushing sound whipped past him, as if the air was being sucked towards the overturned truck. Johnny's eyes widened. All tiredness forgotten, he leapt over the wreckage to where the people who had managed to drag themselves out of their cars were huddled. He opened his mouth to yell at them to run again, when the sound was forcibly ripped from his throat. The truck exploded, sucking air into its fire before-

-everything burned in a world of red. Flames, debris flying. Screaming in split seconds as everyone suddenly realised that they were all dead. And then the roaring changed its course, as if someone had suddenly directed it towards one spot. Johnny. All the burning heat, all the liquid fire began melting into Johnny's body as he flamed on involuntarily, absorbing the explosion.

In the back of his mind, Johnny knew there was something really, really bad going on, especially considering what would normally be making his body increase to an uncomfortable level of heat was only just warming him up. It was as if his body was using the explosion to try and counteract what was making him so cold.

And then it ended. A shroud of blue encompassed the fire as it burned itself out, protecting the people from the rest of the heat. Sue.

Johnny let his flames die, for the first time feeling warm and normal since the day before. Whatever the hell had just happened, he was eternally grateful, for both himself and all those people.

The immediate danger was over, but there was still a lot to clean up. In the corner of his eye, Johnny caught his sister helping Ben get some people out of a car they had been trapped in, and handing them over to the ambulance crews that had finally arrived.

* * *

It had taken a while, but the four of them were finally able to head home. When they made it back to the Baxter Building and returned to their street clothes, the unspoken agreement to not dispute what Johnny had done was broken, "What was that Johnny?" Sue was the first to speak.

Her brother shrugged, "What was what?"

Reed placed his hands on his hips, "Don't play games, Johnny, we should check you out. Your powers have never done that before; they could be evolving."

"Yeah, it was like watching a human vacuum." Ben grunted, before 'patting' Johnny on the back and moving to the kitchen to fix them some food.

"Hey!" Johnny objected indignantly, both in regards to the comment and the fact he almost lost his balance, "I got the job done, didn't I?"

"Nevertheless, I-"

"I'm not a damned lab rat!"

"Johnny!" Sue admonished automatically, a habit picked up from being the older sibling.

"What? Yesterday you didn't want to know, and now I'm your favourite person?" He was giving himself a headache.

Sue sighed, "I'm sorry about yesterday, Johnny, it was just stress, that's all…"

Johnny snorted, "No it wasn't. You and I both know you can't deal with being around me for longer than a couple of months!"

"Yeah, because acting like a spoilt teenager is going to help things." Reed shot back in defence of his fiancée.

Sue's eyes darkened, "I don't know why I bother; we both know how you can't cope with any kind of responsibility for-"

"Enough!" Ben yelled from behind them, making anything not bolted down rumble and shake, "You've both dealt with it this long. Deal with it for longer!"

Johnny scowled at his sister, before making up his mind, "I'm going out."

"Where?" Reed moved to stop him, "I told you, I should check you out."

"And I want a drink." Johnny spat back, turning tail back to the door, slamming it.

Sue screeched in frustration, before storming off in the opposite direction. Reed looked imploringly at Ben, who raised his hands in mock surrender, "Hay, pal, don't look at me. I don't like the kid, and I'm not about to marry her. Neither will listen to me."

Reed rubbed his temples, "This is getting ridiculous."

To Be Continued…

Author Notes: So that's all for that chapter! I would have continued it to make it longer, but I wanted to save the next big thing so I could give it a place of its own – aren't you intrigued now? Anyway, please review – I really appreciate it – and I'll try and get up the next chapter by next week. (By the way. Has anyone seen the new trailer? It looks amazing!!)


	4. Chapter 4

Author Notes: Thank you once again for the lovely reviews, they really brighten my day! I won't hold you up, as this chapter is my favourite so far (is it bad that I enjoyed writing it?) Sorry it's a bit later than the normal Wednesday update, only I've been ill.

Chapter 4

Dawn was creeping along the horizon, a happy hailing to a not so perfect day. Johnny scuffed his boot against the wall on which he as leaning, and began to trudge slowly in the direction of the Baxter Building; a few blocks away. He had stayed out all night, unable to cope with the combined stress of his sister and whatever was happening to him. What little warmth he had gained the day before had long gone, leaving him shivering in the coolness of the morning. Bar hopping hadn't helped his mood either, alcohol only serving to increase the horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was very, very wrong.

Sighing, Johnny scrubbed his face over with his hands. Hopefully Sue wouldn't kick up too much of a fuss when he got back – he didn't think his head could handle the noise.

A few people caught his attention up ahead. They seemed panicky and, dirty? One was on their phone, apparently screaming down it, and it took him a while to realise that his hearing had completely zoned out on him, and that the world was utterly silent. Concentrating, Johnny focused on them enough to bring the sounds of a waking New York back to him. Immediately, the sounds of sirens frantically echoing towards them, and screams, a hell of a lot of screams, all assaulted him. For a moment, Johnny wished he could go deaf again, but then he found his legs forcing him into a run. He skidded round the corner.

Johnny reeled as an intense wave of heat hit him. A tall apartment building was ablaze, and the flames were rapidly creeping sideways to the adjoining structures. He placed his palm against the wall, closing his eyes and trying to concentrate of the mild spiky feeling in his hand as the brick bit into it. A wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm him. His body was forcibly rejected the heat. Unlike before, when it had welcomed the temptation of fire, Johnny's metabolism simply couldn't cope anymore; no amount of heat could satisfy the cold within him. It was like when an overheated person drinks ice cold water down quickly – the quick relief is immediately replaced by the intense desire to throw up.

Clenching his teeth, Johnny forced himself to concentrate on the situation. The screams were getting worse, and the fire fighters were coping badly. Johnny blinked, and then dived his hand into his pocket to pull out his phone. Quickly speed dialling the Baxter Building, he prayed that someone would pick up, preferably not his sister. "_Hello? Dr Reed Richards speaking._"

"Reed?" Johnny breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could explain, Reed cut across him.

"_Johnny? Where the hell have you been? We were worried sick! You have no idea-_"

"I know!" Johnny snapped, his frail temperament breaking, "Look, there a huge fire where I am, god knows how many people are trapped. I'm gonna help, but you guys are gonna have to come down here." He hated the way his voice seemed to add a pleading tone, but to be honest, he was scared that he could cope with all this, especially with his powers the way they were.

Reed replied quickly, "_Where are you?_"

Johnny's brain seemed to keep tripping over itself, "I don't know. You'll see the smoke. Reed…"

"_Just help all you can, we'll be there soon._" He hung up.

Focus. He could focus. Crap, he had to focus. "Damn it." Johnny clenched his fists, and ran towards the building.

"Hey kid!" A fireman grabbed his arm to stop him, and then realised who he was, "Good, we could use a hand. There's people trapped on the fourteenth floor – the escape collapsed before we could get them out."

"How many?"

"Whole family from what we can gather."

"Shit." Johnny hissed, formulating a plan, "Tell the others when they get here to wait, it'll be best to pass them out the window to Re- Mr Fantastic." He clarified, so the man was certain on the instructions.

Before the man could hold him back any longer, Johnny clambered into the building. He could ignore the heat, despite that fact it made the world tilt, but the smoke was really not helping things. Forcing his body to move, he ran up the stairs, pressing himself hard against the wall as he was almost knocked out by the banister above him collapsing. "This is a really bad week." He half groaned, half coughed, forcing his feet to move in some semblance of order up through the building.

* * *

"Oh my god…" Sue murmured as they finally reached the scene. The fire had spread to the buildings either side of the original apartments, and it was still raging.

"Sue, we need to-"

"Hey, you!" Reed stopped as a fire fighter ran towards him, "The other one – the Torch was here. He said to wait it out for him. There's a family trapped on one of the top floors. He said he would pass them out of a window to you."

"_What!_" Susan practically screeched.

Ben put a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from running straight in, before he turned to the man, "How long ago did the kid go in?"

"Only-" The man stopped. A huge creaking sound filled the air, and he turned towards the blazing building. A few windows exploded outwards, and they had to duck to prevent getting white hot glass in their faces, "The building's not structurally sound! We need to move these crowds back – it's too dangerous!"

Ben nodded, "I sort it out."

Sue turned to her fiancé, "Where is he? I can't suffocate the fire until they're out."

Reed could only shake his head, eyes fixed on the uppermost windows. It seemed like an age, when it was in reality barely a few seconds, until finally, he detected movement above them. "Johnny!" Reed yelled, immediately stretching upwards.

His younger brother-in-law to be really didn't look great, half blackened with smoke and coughing badly, but there was the spark in his eye that told Reed that they _would_ do this, "I've got five people. I think that's it. You'll have to carry them down – I can't flame on, I'd burn them more."

Reed nodded, and took the two children of the family from Johnny, both already unconscious, quickly retracting to the ground, "Take them! Get ready to cover the building." Reed yelled at Sue, before returning up to where Johnny and the others were.

Johnny was yelling hoarsely at an old man to move, but he was stubbornly refusing, repeating for the other two to be taken first. Suddenly, the building gave an almighty lurch. Reed didn't wait, grabbing the woman, who was closest to the window.

The world span as Johnny tried to pick himself up off the floor. The boards underneath them had almost been burnt through, and it took him a minute to realise that the younger man was hanging, trying to prevent himself from falling to the floors below. The older man had been knocked unconscious, and Johnny barely registered Reed returning, taking him, and yelling something.

Scrambling forwards, eyes blurry from smoke, Johnny grabbed the man by the arms and tried to haul him up. The ceiling creaked, and the walls seemed to groan as if alive, "Come on!" With one last effort, Johnny managed to pull the man to a slightly safer place than he had been. They crawled over to the window, in a tangle of arms and legs, and Johnny managed to pull himself up using the windowsill to look out. And then the building tilted. Splinters and creaks and groans filled the dying house as the floor began to slant forwards. Johnny did the only thing he could think of. Screaming 'catch' out of the window to Reed, he threw the man out, safe in the knowledge his friend would never let the man die, and then he leapt out himself, "Flame on!"

Fires engulfed his body, but as with the house itself, all it did was confuse him. He forgot what was up and what was down as the world was wreathed in flame. He saw the world five seconds after it had happened, and although that shouldn't have seemed like much, when you mistakenly fly towards a high power jet of water, it means a lot.

* * *

Sue watched in terror as the building started to fall forwards, seams splitting and ripping as it began to collapse. And then she saw her brother. He yelled something that she couldn't make out above the roar of the flames, and then a man was falling out of the window, "Reed!" she screamed.

Immediately, Reed flattened himself into a trampoline-like shape, using Ben and a lamppost for support. He caught the man safely and set him down, but then the building gave in.

As the roof began to fall, so did another figure, seemingly set on fire. But as when he had first learned to use his powers, Johnny seemed unable to control the fire that helped him to fly. They watched as he careened outwards, trying to avoid the falling debris. And then he collided with one of the water jets aimed at the lower levels, and he span backwards, impacting the ground at a high speed, fire extinguished. In horror, the three saw Johnny dazedly try to pick himself up, visibly shivering from the water that soaked his body, before he slumped back to the ground.

Then the building fell.

Everything happened in slow motion for Susan. She couldn't move; just watch as her brother was about to be crushed to death. All she could think of was of the last time they had spoken, when she had yelled at him. And then Ben was running forwards, far more nimbly than it would seem his bulk should have allowed. He skidded to the floor, ripping up concrete as he went, and completely covered Johnny's unconscious form with his own as bricks and mortar rained down on them. A hand grasped her arm hard, "Sue! You need to raise a shield!" Immediately, the world returned to full speed, and she raised her hands, putting more strength into her forcefield than she had since the incident so many months ago with Doom.

Ben blinked as the hard impacts to his body ceased. He could hear Reed, "Get out of there! Sue can't hold it for that long!"

Ben rolled off the body he had been protecting, seeing the blue sheen above him that had stopped a whole building falling on them. "Kid!" He turned to Johnny, but he didn't move. His hair was darkened by the freezing water that dripped languidly off him, contrasting sharply with deathly pale skin, so unlike his normally bright complexion, "Damn it kid…" Hurriedly, Ben picked Johnny up into his arms, hunching over so that if Sue's shield did fail, the fragile body wouldn't get the full force of the rubble.

Sue let the forcefield drop slowly, allowing the flames to die and the debris to fall to the ground in less of an earth shattering fashion. The dust rose into the morning sky, but she only cared about her brother. Ben ran over to them in only a few long strides, gently laying Johnny down onto the floor. Immediately, Sue was on her knees, shaking his shoulders, "Johnny? Johnny! Please wake up. Come on, baby brother, wake up!" she clasped his hand, and then turned to Reed in shock, "He's soaking wet…"

Reed and Ben looked at her in worried confusion, "We should-"

"No! You don't understand! He's wet and cold! He's not even warm."

To Be Continued…

Author Notes: Gasp! Well, I said I was waiting to write the 'big thing' in this chapter, and I even made it longer! Hope you enjoyed it, and I would love it if you could leave me a few comments!


	5. Chapter 5

Author Notes: Wow. I was completely blown away by the response of the last chapter – thank you so much! I hope the rest of the story lives up to your hopes. From this chapter onwards, the storyline is completely unformulated in my head, so it should be interesting. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Reed leaned on the doorway to Johnny's room. Only, it didn't look like his room anymore. Most of the furniture had been cleared away to make room for monitors and machines. To the side, looking far too still for anyone's liking, lay Johnny, asleep or unconscious, however you wanted to phrase it. His sister was equally still, folded asleep in a chair, using his arm as a lifeline to reassure both herself and her brother. Wires snaked over the bedcovers, making Johnny look far too much like a coma patient never expected to wake up.

Reed closed his eyes against the vivid memories of the previous day, against the 'what ifs' that shrouded the event. What if Ben hadn't been fast enough? What if Johnny had collapsed in the building after Reed had told him to help? What if Sue's shield had failed? What if Johnny had died? The last possibility was still a very real one, and one Reed was determined to prevent. When Ben had placed Johnny down on the tarmac, Reed had honestly thought there was no hope. Sue had started yelling for an ambulance, but Reed had known better. Johnny's collapse, his body temperature, the strange reaction of his powers to the truck explosion – all pointed to something changing in his mutation, and no hospital could help with that.

And so, Johnny now lay in the Baxter Building, under the care of his three friends. They had been able to afford medical monitoring equipment from the generous donations they had been receiving from the city, but the final fact remained. Johnny was sick, possibly dying, and none of them could work out why.

* * *

"Sir?" A mouse like voice piped up from the direction of the doorway.

"What?" He really hated employees.

The man was thrown, but scuttled forwards nonetheless, "The report you requested."

He waved his hand in dismissal, a smile touching his lips, if they had been visible. He picked up the file, flicking through it. Six months too late, but he was finally succeeding in killing the annoying kid brother of Susan's. And it was causing the others as much, if more, hurt and confusion as he could have hoped.

Victor Von Doom laughed. Roll on the entertainment.

* * *

The first thing Johnny was aware of when he awoke was the true reality of the term 'bone chilling'. He lay there for an unnameable amount of time, letting each painful moment thread and weave itself into the next. A movement caught his attention, seemingly far away, but at the same time, oddly important. He wasn't alone. Gathering up all the strength left in his muscles, Johnny cracked open his eyes. The darkened room swam, forcing him to jam his eyes straight shut again. A pathetic groan penetrated his ears, and he had a horrible feeling it had come from him.

The Other Person had noticed. A bizarrely large hand rested gently on his shoulder, "Kid?" A rough voice whispered, "Johnny?" That name for some reason sounded strange coming from that voice, as if it wasn't used as much as other terms.

Forcing his brain to function at a slightly higher level, Johnny opened his eyes again, focusing on a point on the ceiling until the world settled down. He blinked a few more times, and then his vision focused on a huge guy made of…rock? Okay, great, hallucinations. "Suzie's gone to get some sleep. She's been with you all day. You've had us worried." His face crinkled into a smile, "Even me."

Suzie? Johnny really wished his brain would start to defrost. "Huh?" Oh yeah, possibly the greatest moment of eloquence in the history of someone trying to get their point across.

The rock-man frowned, "I'll just go get Reed." He got up and strode out of the room, making the floor vibrate.

There was soon a new person in his room, another man. Apparently not 'Suzie', although it would be quite funny if he was. Johnny inwardly giggled, getting the intense feeling that his world was starting to edge towards the, well, edge. His blinked owlishly up at the man, who was apparently talking, but be damned if Johnny could be bothered to listen. Huh, something slightly familiar about that. Maybe the guy usually talked a lot. And then he stretched up to adjust an IV lead. Johnny couldn't help himself, "Gross…" He murmured.

The man smiled slightly, "So you've told me."

He had. Oh yeah, creepy door trick. Johnny sluggishly moved his leaden arm to rest a hand on his pounding forehead, everything starting to return to him as his brain started to melt. Again, he felt that he should sum up the situation, "This really sucks."

* * *

Johnny was asleep again. Reed, Susan and Ben were all in the lab, looking over the test results. Reed's grim expression did nothing to settle the other two's nerves. "His body temperature is just below normal for an ordinary human."

Ben frowned, "But the kid keeps complaining of the cold."

"Well, that is cold for Johnny, cold enough to stop him flaming on, and cold enough to be severely detrimental to his health." Reed sighed, "And that's not all."

"There's more?" Ben spat, "How much more?"

"I can find no sign of what is causing this, or," he paused, averting his eyes from theirs, "Or that the drop in body temperature is the end of it."

"Speak English, Reed," Ben growled, losing patience.

"There are indications that Johnny's body temperature may continue to drop. I don't know how long, with his metabolism, I don't know how long…" Reed seemed to struggle for words.

"You don't know how long he's got to live." Sue completed quietly.

"I'm so sorry Sue." Reed choked, "I'll do all I can, I promise."

Susan smiled weakly, "I know you will." She didn't meet their eyes, simply turning and walking back towards Johnny's room.

Reed ran a hand through his hair, watching her leave with a lost look on his face before he returned to his work. Ben really wanted something to punch. It wasn't fair. Johnny was the youngest, the one with the most life. Yeah, he was annoying practically all the time, but that didn't mean he deserved any of this. "I'm going for a walk." Reed didn't acknowledge him.

* * *

The metal in the bench sagged and groaned as Ben sat on it. He sat in Central Park, unable to deal with the oppression of their home for any longer. Besides, he wasn't much use there. Reed was working on the problem, and Suzie just wanted to be with her little brother. He would just get in the way. Ben was distracted from his inward depression by a businesswoman sitting on the edge of the bench. He gave her an odd sideways look; most people would have just found somewhere else to sit. He ignored her, preferring to look out onto the skyline.

The woman began reapplying her makeup. And then she spoke, quite clearly, quite precisely, "How is that hothead friend of yours? Cooled down a bit?"

Ben blinked, processing the words, "What-"

"Now, now - don't get angry. We couldn't have a report on the evening news of one of the heroes of our city beating up an innocent civilian, now, could we?" She began applying mascara, vainly giving attention to each eye in the same precise manner, "My employer bids you all a good evening-"

"_What. Have. You. Done. To. Johnny?_" Ben hissed out jerkily.

The woman closed her compact mirror with a sharp snap, "You mean that arrogant little brat I was forced to touch?" She turned her smirking gaze on Ben, "I simply cannot imagine what you are talking about."

Ben's fists clenched, but it was rush hour, and the park full. The woman simply rose, and melted into the crowd. He couldn't have touched her. But at least now he knew something, as he rose and broke into a heavy run. Now he could punch someone. And he knew who.

To Be Continued…

Author Notes: So? I was a bit wary about bringing 'The Woman' back again, but I wanted someone to mess with Ben's head:) I'm not sure if I like this chapter, it's a bit wordy, so I would love to know your thoughts!


	6. Chapter 6

Author Notes: I am so sorry that this took so long! I had a fight with my computer, and lost. Thank you for your reviews and patience, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 6

"So, that means there's a chance then, right?" Sue looked between Reed and Ben, "If Doom did something to Johnny, then that means it's not natural. You can help him? Reed?"

Reed looked at Ben, who radiated suppressed anger. He closed his eyes and let his head fall into his hands, trying to sort out his head. When Ben had come storming in, stating that someone had actually made Johnny sick, Reed had been the only one who had actually felt unhappy. It sounded horrible, but it was the honest truth. Now, both Susan and Ben had hope that Johnny could be saved, when Reed had long abandoned hope. If Ben hadn't found out, Reed would never have found any indication that Johnny's illness had been caused by deliberate intervention. And even now, now that Reed knew he should be looking for something, he couldn't find anything. Whatever had done this to Johnny was either long gone, or too well integrated in the young man's body. He raised his head, determined to face them, "I'm so sorry."

Three simple words brought their hope crashing down.

"What's goin' on?"

And three simple words shocked that despair to the core. Three weakly, barely whispered words, coming from a pale figure, leaning against the doorframe, wrapped in a duvet.

* * *

Johnny was still swaying, and blinking frequently as if his world was constantly trying to avoid his eyesight. Reed had run as many tests as he could think of. He glanced over to where Johnny was sitting a little way away, Sue on one side, Ben on the other. It was strange, of all the people to have the greatest clarity on the situation, Reed had not anticipated it to be Johnny. Nevertheless, as he walked over, it was Johnny who stared at him unblinkingly, following his every step. "I'm getting worse, aren't I?"

Sue immediately began shaking her head, a watery smile on her face, "Don't be stupid, Johnny, you're going to be fine."

Johnny gave her a lopsided grin, "Calm before the storm, sis."

"Reed, tell him."

"Johnny's right, Susan. His body temperature is just as cold, and it's still falling."

"But he's awake." A slight note of hysteria laced her voice, "You're awake, Johnny."

Red ran a hand through his hair, "It's deceptive, Sue. Not all things are that simple. You can have a patient of an organ transplant get stronger and stronger, and then their condition just plummets. Some cases of the bubonic plague would see sufferers go through hell, but then seem to recover, only to never wake up the next day. I'm sorry not to sugar coat this, Sue, but Johnny's condition is still deteriorating."

Sue's body shimmered into invisibility as she rose and screamed at Reed, "No! You're wrong! And even if you're not, Johnny is not going to die! We are going to find a cure! If I have to wring Victor's neck with my bare hands to get it, we will!"

Johnny flinched at Sue's tone, unconsciously leaning into Ben. He hated it when his sister got this angry. She had only done it twice before in their lives; once when he had run away from home, the other at their father, soon after their mum had died. When his sister got this angry, it meant things were really bad, so bad that she was terrified.

Reed was visibly trying to keep cool, "And what would you have us do? Scour the country for him? The world? You and I both know that man can hide himself so that no amount of resources could find him. I'm sorry, Johnny, I really am."

Johnny smiled softly, staring at his shaking hands, "S'okay."

Sue looked as if she was going to tear one into both men for giving up, but Ben stopped her by standing up, gently helping Johnny to his feet. He threw both her and Reed a sharp glare, before turning to the dazed man he was supporting the weight of, "C'mon kid, you should get some more sleep. Ya look like crap."

"Right back atcha Pebbles." Johnny murmured in retort.

Sue watched as Ben led Johnny back to his room, tears involuntarily overflowing from her eyes and falling to the ground. Reed put a hand on her shoulder, but she threw it off violently, "_Don't!_" she hissed, her voice cracking.

Reed flinched back, suddenly left in the room all alone. Six months ago, he had been named their leader. And now? They were falling apart, and all because he wasn't good enough to do anything about it. Maybe Ben had the right idea. Apart from Johnny, none of them had slept in a very long time, and although the 'better in the morning' theory was a bit clichéd and overrated, Reed was willing to try anything.

* * *

A cloud had descended over the Baxter Building. Johnny's condition was rapidly worsening, and the most awful thing was, it was getting to the point where they were all wishing that he would stay unconscious. Something, anything to relieve what he was going through as his whole body began to turn on itself in a violent attempt to survive. Sue and Reed had been completely torn apart, with Sue being unable to even be in the same room as him, let alone look at him. Reed doubted she would forgive him. In fact, he suspected that the only thing keeping her in the same city as him was her brother. Ben, meanwhile, had made it no secret that he was fed up with the both of them, firmly believing that they should stop acting so petty, and actually start thinking of Johnny, to which both would of course protest they were.

Reed finished administering a higher dosage of pain medication to Johnny's IV. The kid seemed to have lapsed into a state of semi-consciousness, face constantly scrunched up in pain, trying to fight the nightmares that his delirium seemed to be projecting to accompany the pain. Reed absently brushed a strand of sweat-soaked hair out of Johnny's face. Dehydration was rapidly becoming an issue, as his body kept trying to cool itself down even further. Sue stepped into the room, pointedly blanking Reed and pulling up a chair. He took the hint.

Leaving the two siblings alone, the scientist wandered through their home. Ben had gone to see Alicia, unable to cope with the tension that had once again reared its ugly head earlier that morning. Their mail had finally arrived, and it seemed as good an opportunity as any to distract himself. There was the obligatory sample of fan mail, sent forward by the building, a few bills, and a thin package, with a note attached from his landlord, "_'Didn't think this looked like your normal stuff'_." Reed read aloud.

Tiredly, he made his way to his lab, the only sanctuary he had left, throwing the rest of the mail on the desk, and ripping open the package at the top. Out fell a USB stick, and a folded piece of paper. Frowning, Reed, placed the stick next to the computer, and opened the letter. His eyes widened as he read it once, twice, three times before he actually believed it. A twisting sensation settled in the pit of his stomach; they didn't have much time. He threw the letter down next to the opened packaging, and ran to get Sue.

From a secluded place in the ceiling, a microscopic camera zoomed in onto the letter, which read:

_I am so sorry for what I have done. I have to make that clear. I had no choice. I was not made completely privy to what they wanted me to do, but from the medical details they gave me, I worked it out. _

_I am a doctor and a scientist, and approximately two months ago, I was kidnapped. I was given the task to create a biological_ _weapon, something that would freeze a person's insides. Ashamedly, I did not have the courage to disobey them, and so the reason that your friend is dying is because of me. However, what they never knew was that I changed the sequencing of the serum ever so slightly, under the pretence that it was to make it compatible with humans instead of rats. I have bought your friend more time, and also the possibility to be cured, if you work fast. Enclosed are the details of my work, and I hope that you can fix my mistake._

_You must hurry. I do not know how the changes will affect your friend, nor if my employer knows of this. I am under no illusions that I will be kept alive after this, and I only hope that my work will not cause more death._

On the receiving end of the camera, Doom slammed his fist down on the desk, leaving a huge dent in the metal. He turned his chair so he could face the woman standing behind him, "How did this happen?" His voice was unnervingly calm.

"I have no idea, sir; he should not have had any contact with the outside world. Perhaps one of the guards helped him. I will rectify the mistake. Would you like me to steal the data?"

Doom rose, "Oh, I think you've done enough, don't you?" Blue lightening shot into her body, and she fell down dead. "I think I need to pay my dear friends a visit."

To Be Continued…

Author Notes: This chapter was hard, as I had no idea how to help Johnny what I started writing it. Hopefully I've done okay. Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Author Notes: Okay, I am majorly sorry that this chapter took so long to post. Exams crashed down on me in one big smush. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long:)

Chapter 7

Johnny didn't really know what was going on. He could hear stressed out voices, but he was floating. It was a welcome sensation, especially considering how tortured his body had been feeling recently. This feeling was a good one. It had to be. All time lost meaning, all pain evaporated, everyone else suddenly didn't matter any more. Nothing mattered. The fire wasn't dying anymore. It was changing. It was screaming.

* * *

Sue sat next to Johnny as she had done every other time he had been ill or injured. She focused on his shallow, laboured breathing, willing him to take each one, to continue fighting. It helped her keep her mind off Reed. A crash from outside in the corridor drew her from her thoughts, shortly followed by Ben's irate voice, "Reed? What the hell?"

Reed skidded into the room, his eyes wild. "Sue, Suzie, I'm gonna need your help. Now!" And he ran back out again, dodging Ben on his way back to the labs.

Susan frowned, turning to Ben, "What..?"

The Thing shrugged, "Don't ask me what goes on in his head, I only just got in myself."

Anger rising within her towards Reed, Sue ran after him, "Reed! What do you think you're playing at? I think you've done enough-" she was cut off as the scientist shoved a piece of paper in her hands, already loading something up onto his computer.

Sue had to read the letter three times before she could contemplate believing it. "Reed…" She drew his name out slowly, trying to anchor them both in reality.

Reed stood up from the screen, rummaging around the lab for various pieces of equipment. Without looking up, he reeled off, "No, I don't know if it's real. Yes, it could easily be a trick of Doom. Yes, I am going to use it to try and save Johnny, and no, I don't give a damn about the risks, because, let's face it, we've run out of options."

Sue seemed to be in shock, but then her face hardened, "What do you want me to help with?"

* * *

Ben sat with Johnny. It had been quiet in the building, ever since the package had come. He knew Reed and Sue would work as fast as they could, but – and he hated to be the pessimist – he really couldn't see Johnny holding on that much longer. A little while ago, Reed had come in to take vial of the kid's blood, muttering something about culturing and manipulating stuff with very long names. Johnny suddenly gave a shuddering breath, his face scrunching up in pain. The monitors registered a rapid rise in his heartrate, "Kid? Johnny? It's Ben, it's gonna be okay, you hear me?" For a moment, it looked as if Ben's words might have helped, and then Johnny's muscles suddenly all tensed, and his body started shaking uncontrollably. Not wanting to hurt him by accident, Ben yelled, "Reed! Sue! Get here, now!"

The other two were there in a flash, but upon seeing her brother, Sue just froze. Reed took one look, and swore, "He's having a seizure. Sue, cushion his head, he'll hurt himself. Sue, now!" At his yell, she moved. Reed grabbed something from the table, and quickly injected it into the IV. After a while, the shaking stopped.

"Reed?" Ben was the first to speak, "What was that?"

Reed was incredibly pale, "The last stage of the virus. His whole body is beginning to shut down. We need to get back to work. Now."

* * *

"I think that's it."

Sue scanned her eyes over the final equations, "You're sure?"

Reed shrugged, "It's the best we've got. Johnny doesn't have enough time for us to try and fine tune it. We just have to hope." He took the tiny bottle of liquid, and grabbed a syringe-

"Now why would you want to go and put the poor boy through any more? It would be kinder to just let him die like a sick animal."

Sue and Reed whirled around. There stood Victor Von Doom, complete with mask, cloak and all, staring at them in their own home. A horrible sense of déjà vu swept over them both. Sue's eyes narrowed, "You did this to Johnny!" She hissed.

"I did, didn't I?" His voiced sighed, as if he was talking about the weather. "That boy has been an incredibly irritating firecracker, and I couldn't resist the opportunity when it presented itself. What can I say? I indulge myself a little too much."

Sue had had enough. She pulled together all the anger, all the fear and frustration that she had been bottling up for Johnny's sake, and threw it in a wave of energy and light towards Doom. He was thrown against the far wall, but easily picked himself up again. Reed had already taken the opportunity to run towards the door and try and get to Johnny, but Doom sent a bolt of blue energy towards him, which seared through his leg. Crying out, Reed stumbled slightly, the bottle rolling away. Doom sighed, "I really can't allow you to give him that, Richards."

A thundering shook the floor, and Doom turned only just in time to see The Thing rumbling towards him. Using static energy, Doom threw lightening at the floor, causing it to rip upwards and cut all power to the building.

Reed straightened, grabbing up the antidote as Sue and Ben backed Doom into a corner, "It's three against one, Victor; you can't win."

"Oh, I beg to differ. Why don't you look." He jerked his head towards the door. Reed frowned, and then his heart lurched into his throat as his eyes registered what Doom was referring to. "You didn't think I would just come storming in here without a plan, did you Reed? I'm not you - surely you know that by now."

In the entrance to the lab stood a bulky man with a leery grin on his face; clearly an employee of Doom. Roughly, he jerked his fist backwards, yanking the head of hair that he held up. Johnny was kneeling, barely conscious, at the man's feet, a gun pointed at his head.

"No…" It was an involuntary, barely audible sob that escaped Susan as the reality hit her.

"What are you hoping to gain with this, Victor?" Reed spat out, "Johnny's as good as dead without this antidote. A gun to his head is hardly a threat." He tried to make his voice sound convincing.

Doom sighed, "You can bluff better than that, Reed, surely? You were always one to hold onto hope until the last second. And in answer to your question, I want to watch you as you watch his die. I want to see you realise how much you have failed the boy and his sister. Doesn't look like he's got much time left, does it?"

Ben's usual loud, angry voice dulled to a disturbingly calm, menacing tone, "I am going to kill you, Doom."

"That may be. But I believe he may die first."

All eyes turned to Johnny. His breathing was ragged and uneven, his body shaking badly. The man holding him jerked his head back violently, and Johnny's eyes cracked open slightly, unfocused and confused before sliding shut one last time. Then his breathing seemed to catch, and the uneven breaths he had been trying to take ceased.

* * *

Johnny didn't really know what was going on. He could hear stressed out voices, but he was floating. It was a welcome sensation, especially considering how tortured his body had been feeling recently. This feeling was a good one. It had to be. All time lost meaning, all pain evaporated, everyone else suddenly didn't matter any more. Nothing mattered. The fire wasn't dying anymore. It was changing. It was screaming.

To Be Continued…

Author Notes: Not too much of a cliffhanger then… Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Author Notes: I decided to write this chapter quickly before my next exam loomed, and before I saw the second Fantastic Four film so it didn't influence my writing (tomorrow!). Anyway, thank you for all the reviews, and here's the last chapter!

Chapter 8

Time had stopped. It was a funny thing to say, and yet true. The world seemed to freeze, just for him. In his bubble, Johnny was able to think. He was the only one in his bubble. He was safe. Right? And yet, there was something at the back of his mind, something crying out that this was wrong, very wrong and he should try to concentrate on where his family was. It was twisted, or twisting, the constant fire that he had been missing for the past few days. He had thought it was gone forever, but then he realised just how wrong he had been.

The cold burned just as bright.

And it _hurt_.

* * *

Doom smiled inwardly as he watched the boys eyes roll back into his head, and his breathing stop. Silent tears of shock were rolling down his ex-fiancée's face, which made him smile all the more; she was feeling his revenge. He turned his gaze back to the dying boy, observing the final tensing of the muscles as his body gave up. This was a good moment. But then the boy's eyes snapped open, and Doom saw his hubristic mistake.

Susan's eyes connected with her brother's, shock running through her veins. His gaze held her in its grasp, and suddenly she was more terrified than she had ever been. Those were not her brother's eyes. They held none of the mischief, reassurance and spark. Ice blue eyes pierced through her, hard and cold; completely devoid of any emotion. And then his body was engulfed in fire of blue and white, and the man holding him began to scream. Until, of course, he dropped down dead, frozen.

They watched as Johnny rose gracefully to his feet, moving that chilling glare from person to person. Reed could tell from Doom's silence that this had not been part of his plan. He took a step forwards, attracting Johnny's attention back to him, and then a sudden bolt of realisation hit him. This was not Johnny, he didn't recognise them. This man was dangerous. Reed's mind skipped back unbidden to when Johnny had first got his powers, and how temperamental they had been, and he realised just how much trouble they were in.

The room temperature began to fall rapidly, until they could see their breath rise in misty clouds. The ice blue eyes narrowed slightly, and white fire gathered in his hands as his feet lifted from the ground. The air crackled with unleashed power.

Then all Hell broke loose as Doom unleashed the first attack.

* * *

Everything was burning. He was so cold, so very cold. This was wrong. You weren't meant to burn when you were cold, but the searing temperature hurt so much. His mind screamed, and Johnny was trapped in a sea of white, freezing pain. This wasn't what his power was meant to do. Everything was backwards, and he had no control. Ice crystals coated his lungs and cold bit into his skin until it reached his heart and mind. He was lost. Lost in a storm of snow, ice and pain.

* * *

Doom flew through the window, hit in the chest by the white fire, Johnny jumping out after him. Screaming filled the streets. Ben didn't wait; he jumped out right after them without a second thought. Sue was shaking, but determined, "Come _on _Reed!" She tugged on his arm, "We have to get down there!"

Reed just stood there, staring at the smashed window. "No. This is wrong – it's what the scientist was afraid of. Johnny's not in control, didn't you see his eyes? We need to give him the antidote." He scanned the room, until his eyes fell on the tiny bottle, miraculously unharmed, "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Doom threw bolt after bolt at the kid, but none of them touched him. This was not how his plan was meant to turn out. The kid was meant to be dead, not nigh on unstoppable. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ben Grimm trying to get people back, and he realised that he was scared too – they didn't think that the kid could control his new power. Not that it should be a surprise to him, of course, all four of them were pathetic and weak. He was jerked out of his musings as a wall of white flame came hurling towards him, something he only dodged just in time.

Everyone watched as the Human Torch, burning white instead of red, stopped, floating a few feet above the ground, supported on eddies of swirling white air that froze the road. He seemed to ponder the masked man before him, and then he raised his arms up from his sides, and the air itself seemed to freeze in people's throats. Ben stared. A vortex of white fire began to encase the kid, just as the air had done when Johnny had gone supernova once before, except this time, it was very, very cold. A ghost of a smile seemed to flicker across the man of ice, and then he began to scream, expanding the ice fire until it encased Doom.

Ben felt the very air around him crystallize and coat his skin of rock, and he felt his joints begin to freeze up. Behind him, people were screaming, running, and then, just as before, a blue shield encased the fire, and Ben saw Reed and Sue running towards them. The white fire began to clear and die, and once again, an intense sensation of déjà vu swept over them as Doom stood frozen in the centre, and Johnny hit the ground, his bare skin ripping and bleeding as it connected with the concrete.

Sue reached him first, dragging him up to his knees and wrapping a blanket around his freezing body. He was shaking violently, and his eyes were scared and unfocused as he looked up at her, looking as small and young as he had when they were children. "S-sue?" He stammered, his lips barely functioning through the cold, "P-please…make it s-stop. It r-really hurts. S-sue, p-please-argh!" Johnny's plea turned into a cry of pain as he doubled over, feeling the ice-cold fire rising up to the surface again.

Sue felt her heart wrench in her chest. "Reed!" she screamed, knowing this would be their only chance. If the antidote didn't work, Johnny would become just as powerful as before, he would be a danger to the city, and they would have to stop him.

Reed skidded down next to them, uncapping the syringe with his teeth and drawing the liquid in. Without a second glance, he grabbed Johnny's arm, wincing as the searing cold bit into his skin, and jammed the needle in.

The effect was instantaneous. Johnny's body stiffened, and his eyes rolled back as his whole body was taken into another seizure. He shook so badly that his nose and ears began to bleed, and blood started trickling from the corner of his mouth. They turned him onto his side so that he didn't choke, trying to support his head. And then, as suddenly as it had started, everything stopped, and his body stilled. Sue was terrified that it had all been too much, but Reed quickly checked his pulse, "It's very weak, we need to get him to a hospital, now." However much they hated outside help, he knew that if they ever needed it, it was now.

Ben stooped down, gathering Johnny in his arms, blanket and all, turning as he heard sirens wail down the streets towards them.

* * *

Johnny lay on the sofa, his body curled as tight as it would go within a duvet, drowsily listening to Sue and Ben banter quietly as Reed rummaged around the kitchen. A hand stroked his hair, and he opened his eyes. His big sister was smiling fondly down at him, "Bed, Johnny. It's only your first night home – don't push yourself."

"I'm not four, Sue." He protested, but he knew she was right. It had been a week since he had woken up in a hospital bed, cold and confused, and although he was getting better (and more importantly, warmer), he still didn't feel great. His sister raised an eyebrow and scowled down at him, "Alright, alright. Damn, give you one iota of power and you don't half take advantage of it, do you?"

Sue smirked, "I'm your sister, it's my job to boss you around."

Johnny rolled his eyes and picked himself up, stubbornly refusing a hand as he made his way to his bedroom, muttering darkly about 'escaping this prison'.

Sue smiled as she sat herself down, gratefully accepting the coffee that Reed handed her. A crash sounded from the corridor, shortly followed by a stream of irate curses. They winced. Ben sighed, "I'll go clean up whatever the kid's broken."

Reed put his arm around Sue, "How are you?"

She leaned into him, "Better now he's home with us." She paused, "And now we're not fighting anymore."

Reed shook his head, "I told you, forget it; we were all terrified we were going to lose him." An argument started up down the hall between Ben and Johnny. Reed raised his eyes to the ceiling in good-humoured defeat, "I'd better go mediate."

Sue grinned, listening to her boys as a familiar pattern of argument started up. She had forgotten how much she had missed the noise.

**FIN**

Author Notes: There you go, all done. Virtual cookie to Asheron Karuma for guessing correctly:P! Thank you to everyone who supported this story and enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please take the time to leave one last review! It'll make my day.


End file.
